Curing light

Abstract

A curing light system useful for curing light activated composite materials is disclosed. Various configurations of light emitting semiconductor chips and heat sinks are disclosed, as well as various structures and methods for driving, controlling and using them.

1. A curing light comprising:
 a first semiconductor source of curing light,  
 a first primary heat sink to which said first semiconductor source of curing light is mounted,  
 a second semiconductor source of curing light,  
 a second primary heat sink to which said second semiconductor source of curing light is attached,  
 a secondary heat sink to which said first and second primary heat sinks are attached,  
 said first and second semiconductor sources of curing light being oriented so that light beams emanating from them overlap at least in part to provide an enhanced intensity light footprint which can be used to cure a desired material.  
 
   
   
     2. A curing light as recited in  claim 1  wherein said first and second primary heat sinks each have a mounting platform to which said semiconductor sources of curing light are attached. 
   
   
     3. A curing light as recited in  claim 2  wherein said mounting platforms are oriented to achieve said overlapping light beams. 
   
   
     4. A curing light as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a third semiconductor source of curing light,  
 a third primary heat sink to which said third semiconductor source of curing light is attached, and  
 said third primary heat sink being attached to said secondary heat sink.  
 
   
   
     5. A curing light as recited in  claim 4  wherein said third semiconductor source of curing light is oriented so that a light beam emanating from it overlaps said enhanced intensity light footprint at least in part. 
   
   
     6. A curing light as recited in  claim 5 
 wherein said first semiconductor source of curing light emits light centered around a first wavelength λ 1 ;  
 wherein said second semiconductor source of curing light emits light centered around a second wavelength λ 2 ;  
 wherein said third semiconductor source of curing light emits light centered around a third wavelength λ 3 ; and  
 wherein at least one of λ 1  and λ 2  is not equal to λ 3 .  
 
   
   
     7. A curing light as recited in  claim 1  wherein said first semiconductor source of curing light emits light centered around a first wavelength λ 1  and said second semiconductor source of curing light emits light centered around a second wavelength λ 2 , and wherein λ 1 , is not equal to λ 2 .